Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti woke up on Sunday to a gaggle of “Black Lives Matters” protesters and a mosaic of remember Ezell Ford placards.
The gathering outside Garcetti’s home in Hancock Park gave notice to L.A.’s top politician that many are unhappy with Saturday’s ruling by a LAPD watchdog commission, which concluded that two of its officers were justified in killing the 25-year-old mentally challenged Ezell Ford.
Holding up pictures of Ford, singing hymns and chanting slogans, a dozen demonstrators warned the mayor to “Beware the day we change our minds.”
One protester, Evan Bunch, said that they came to the mayor’s mansion to hold him “accountable” and “because obviously, the police can’t hold themselves accountable.”
Breitbart News reported in August that Ford was killed in a scuffle with a police officer when, according to the two officers involved in the incident, Ford tried to grab one of the officers guns.
Although one witness to the struggle said that Ford acted passively with his hands up in the air and did not go for the gun, the watchdog commission agreed with the officers story. The commission cited DNA evidence in the officers defense.
Police Captain Dave Storaker said that police will permit protesters to stay overnight, “As long as they don’t breach the inner wall of the residence, they can be out here and have their protest and that’s their First Amendment rights.”
KPCC 89.3 reported that the the police commission is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the report and make the final determination whether the shooting was justified.
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